All Hearts Come Home for Christmas
by georgesgurl117
Summary: Because it's Christmas, folks. And Christmas is for family.


**Disclaimer:** I own them not, nor do I believe they are under my Christmas tree with a giant, shiny blue bow on their heads.

**A/N:** Because it's Christmas -- and I'm snowed in with nothing better to do. :) Merry Christmas to you all!

* * *

_**All Hearts Come Home for Christmas  
**_

It was Christmas Eve, and the day was bright and crisp as the snow fell gently to the ground.

Olivia Benson leaned back in her chair. "Hey, El – what time were you supposed to leave?"

Her partner glanced up from the file folder laid open upon his desk. He looked at her face and then checked his watch.

"Shoot," he whispered, standing up immediately from his chair. He quickly downed his coffee and then grabbed his suit coat from the back of his seat. "Kath'll kill me if I'm late."

"Even on Christmas?"

Elliot straightened his cuffs. "Especially on Christmas."

Liv smiled as she pushed out of her chair and retrieved his winter jacket from the coat rack. "More likely she'd kill me for letting you be late."

Elliot laughed as he took his coat from her. As he slipped into it, Olivia returned to her desk and reached underneath, withdrawing a large, red gift bag.

Elliot zipped up his coat and gave her a sideways glance as she held it out to him. "What's this?"

"Wish the family a happy Christmas from me, 'kay?"

He took it from her and shook his head. "Liv, I thought we agreed on no presents this year."

A devilish grin crept on her face. "I know – but if it weren't for your kids, who would I shop for?"

Elliot matched her grin and pulled her into a quick hug. "Merry Christmas, Olivia."

"Yep," she said as they stepped apart. "Drive safe – and don't let the in-laws get to you."

"Ha ha," he laughed. "Easier said than done." He flashed a quick smile and disappeared down the hallway.

Olivia watched him leave and then stepped around to his desk. She browsed through the file for a minute before closing it. Elliot had not finished his forms yet for the case, but she had a feeling Cragen would forgive him in the spirit of the holiday season.

She grabbed Elliot's coffee mug along with hers and then walked over to the sink. She gave his a quick rinse, and then took hers back to get a refill.

At that moment, Munch and Fin appeared from one of the interview rooms. Munch headed back to his desk, while his partner walked over to Olivia and grabbed his own cup.

"Stabler leave yet?" he asked.

Olivia nodded as she took a sip. "Yeah – he just left a few minutes ago."

"Hmm…hope he comes back in one piece," he replied as he picked up the coffee pot and began to pour.

Olivia snickered over her hot beverage and nodded her agreement.

"What 'bout you? Got any plans for the big day?"

She shrugged as she leaned against the counter. "Haven't quite figured that out yet. There are a couple open invitations – I might take them up on one or two. How 'bout you?"

Fin cleared his throat. "Ken's havin' me over at his place for dinner tonight. Wants me to meet this new boyfriend of his."

"Oh?" Olivia raised her eyebrow and grinned at him over her coffee mug. "And how are you handling that?"

He shot her half a worried grin. "I'm handlin' it."

"Ahem!" Munch coughed, interrupting their conversation. "Isn't there somewhere else you two can loiter? Preferably farther away from my caffeine supply."

Fin turned to his partner and shook his head in disbelief, but stepped aside all the same. Olivia rolled her eyes though she kept an amused expression on her face as she slid a few inches away from the appliance.

"Well you just got holiday spirit comin' out the ass, don't you?"

Munch glanced at Fin over his dark lenses, but offered no verbal remark.

"So," Fin began, "do you and your sparkling personality have any holiday plans?"

Munch raised his brows at his partner once again. "You're kidding, right?"

Fin shrugged. "Just 'cuz you're Jewish don't mean you can't get in on any of the fun."

Munch raised his cup to his lips. "I think that's exactly what it means."

"Oy," Fin groaned, rolling his eyes and walking back to his desk.

Smiling, Olivia pushed off of the counter, and patted Munch on the shoulder. "Do you have any non-holiday plans, then?"

The older detective shrugged. "I figured I'd do the traditional Jewish Christmas Eve and go for the Chinese take-out."

Liv nodded. "Sounds like a good idea to m---"

"Don't you people have work to do?" Cragen loudly inquired as he strode through the squadroom towards his office. "Oh, and Benson," he added, poking his head momentarily out of the room, "I hope your partner finished that report before he left."

Olivia sighed and made her way to her desk. She set down her coffee and then pulled the file folder over to her desk.

"Hmmph," Munch snorted, gesturing at his partner. "I've got just as much cheer as that one, and he's not even one of my fellow chosen people."

Fin raised an eyebrow. "Can you blame him? Havin' to deal with you all year -- a walkin' fruitcake with glasses?"

"Ah, fruitcake!" Munch lifted up his mug in a gesture as he sat down in his chair. "Another reason to hate the holidays."

**oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

The snow had continued through the afternoon and into the evening. Drifts had begun to form on the sidewalks, and its presence in the atmosphere lightened the sky as Olivia stepped from her apartment to the waiting cab. She gave directions to the driver as she crawled into the backseat.

"Christmas party, eh?" the driver asked, as the car pulled away from the curb.

Olivia nodded. "Yeah."

"Ah," the driver replied, glancing at her through the rearview mirror. "Well, if it's anythin' to ya – you look nice."

She grinned sheepishly as she straightened the skirt of her red dress. "Thank you."

Liv glanced out the frosty window. Wreaths and lights adorned nearly all of the buildings on the street, and a few late shoppers were finding their way to the corner market. She had a slight nervous feeling in her stomach, but was not sure as to why. She had become decent friends with a woman from her gym, who had invited her to a friendly holiday gathering. Olivia had been looking forward to it the last couple of days, but now she just kept thinking about the sad look in Cragen's eyes as he sent them home from work two hours early.

A few minutes passed, and Olivia tried to fill the silence that made her feel even more out of place. "You have anything nice to do for Christmas Eve?"

"Oh most definitely," the man nodded enthusiastically. "Nothing as glamorous as a party or anything, but I wouldn't trade it for all of Manhattan. I'm headin' straight for my kids the moment my shift is up." He gestured to a picture of two young boys he had taped to his dashboard. "Still believe in ol' Santa Clause, so I gotta make the most of it."

Olivia laughed. "I think that sounds like a better plan than mine."

"To me it is," the driver shrugged. "Christmas is for family – that's my thought. But here we are." He pulled the cab over to the side of the road.

"Merry Christmas," she said as she handed him her fare.

The driver shrugged. "It will be when I get home. You have a wonderful night."

Liv smiled, turning away from the taxi and facing the bar. She could tell the party was already in full swing as the laughter and holiday music spilled out into the street. She took a few steps forward and then stopped. An idea struck her, and she quickly sprinted back into the street.

Olivia shouted, waving her arms at the cabbie. The car screeched to a stop at the intersection and waited until she caught up to it.

"I've changed my mind," she said, pulling out her cell phone and sliding into the seat once again. "There's somewhere I'd rather be."

A huge grin spread across the driver's face. "Aye, aye ma'am."

**oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

Twenty minutes later, the cab pulled up alongside a familiar building. Happily, Olivia handed the man a hearty tip and wished his family well.

"Merry Christmas!" He shouted before driving away.

Olivia grinned and began walking towards the entrance.

"Well, don't you look charming tonight?" Munch stated as he approached from the other direction.

"Thanks," Liv laughed, shrugging at her party outfit. "Did you bring it?"

Munch nodded and lifted up the two plastic bags in his hand. "Right down to the fortune cookies."

**oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

Cragen sighed as he massaged his temples. The piles of paperwork he had towered upon his desk earlier still stood prominently in his view. He had started on it as he intended, but his plan to bury himself in work throughout the night had utterly failed. Instead he had spent the last four hours staring absently into the past.

The face of his late wife floated towards him from her metal frame at the corner of his desk, haunting him with vivid memories of their former life.

_The first Christmas they had together – her smile, her laugh, the sparkle of her eyes in the firelight. She had let it slide early in their relationship that Christmas Eve was her favorite night of the year. She said it was the night families were the closest – the night they showed how much they loved each other. She even went so far as to call it a magic night where even the least expected things could happen.  
_

_This admission of hers made it easy for him. He proposed to her that night, under the Christmas tree._

_It was her favorite story to tell. She always laughed about it – he had given her everything she wanted; she had given him a nice pair of socks._

Cragen entertained a small chuckle as he remembered how happy she had been. He was only a beat cop – but that was enough for her.

A soft tapping at his door interrupted his reverie.

"Come in," he called out, blinking away the excess water that had formed in his eyes.

The door opened, and Olivia poked her head around the corner.

"Olivia? Was there something you needed?" He asked, standing up from his chair.

She stepped into the room. "Uh, no – not especially." She gestured to the table that sat in the corner of the room. "You using this for anything?"

Surprised at the question, Cragen shook his head.

Without a word, she cleared the few items from the table and set them carefully on the floor.

Munch appeared behind her, and the two set to unpacking the cartons of Chinese food.

A curious Cragen stepped over to them, clearing his throat. "What is all this?"

Munch shrugged, "Christmas Eve, Captain."

"Did you forget you're Jewish, John?"

This withdrew a laugh from the graying detective. "What -- does the fact that I'm Jewish mean I can't get in on any of the fun?"

Olivia stifled most of a laugh and shot him an amused look, which Munch shrugged off with an innocent, "What?"

Cragen slipped his hands in his pockets, and coughed. "Well, this is all well and nice of you both – but why are you here? You should be out enjoying your time off."

Liv gave him a huge grin. "It's Christmas Eve – you're supposed to spend it with your family."

Munch set down the two chairs he had pulled over and handed one to Olivia. "Yeah, so pull up a chair and enjoy an egg roll." He paused for a moment, before adding, "Sir."

The captain grinned and headed around his desk to grab his chair. He stopped briefly as he watched his two detectives filling their plates, and then glanced down at his wife's photo.

"Merry Christmas," he whispered to her.

* * *

**Merry Christmas To You All!!!**


End file.
